A National Sickle Cell Centre is an ideal institution for addressing problems of sickle cell disorder (SCD) in any country with a high incidence of the disorder (Guidelines for the control of haemoglobin disorders, World Health Organization, 1994 WHO/HDP/HB/GL/94.1) No country in the world qualifies for this more than Nigeria.

Firstly, because Nigeria has the largest reservoir of the sickle cell gene in the world. One in every 4 Nigerians or 25% of the entire population of the country has the sickle cell trait (Hb AS). Although Nigeria shares this characteristic with other neighbouring countries, its large population of about 160 million sets it apart with regard to the number of persons affected. In numerical terms, a staggering 40 million Nigerians have the trait. This is more than the entire population of any other African country except Zaire.

The trait is genetically acquired by inheriting a normal haemoglobin A (Hb A) from one parent and a mutant sickle haemoglobin (Hb S) from the other parent. Although SCD is found on other continents, it is predominantly an African problem with social, economic and medical implications. Africa, particularly, Nigeria, should therefore be in the vanguard of serious efforts to cure or ameliorate the condition. About 20 per 1,000 newborn children in Nigeria have sickle cell anaemia (Hb SS) having inherited Hb S from each parent.

The affected individuals and their families suffer a burden of anxiety, frequent illness, excess mortality rates and financial cost, needlessly aggravated by ignorance and a palpable lack of appropriate services and research. The National Sickle Cell Centre will dedicate itself to redressing this situation.

The purpose of the National Sickle Cell Centre is to seek and disseminate the best possible solutions to the problems of sickle cell disorder nationally and secondarily worldwide. In other words, the Sickle Cell Centre will provide the unique facility with over all objectives of optimally enhancing quality of life of individual with sickle cell disorder and reducing as much as possible, the burden of the disorder in the community.